“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done”.

Genesis 50:20

How many times have we been offended or hurt by others?

I for one have been many times. And so often, I let that fester. The offense, the hurt, going over and over in my mind what a victim I am, how I could get revenge and hurt them back, sometimes even wondering what I did wrong to have caused it, but most of all, I allow it hinder my heart from moving on. And all these things are normal I believe. But it’s when we let it sit there and rot our minds and hearts that it begins to do the work that it was intended for. Offensive and hurtful words are not meant to accomplish anything but to bring another person down. It can be an act of power, insecurity, selfishness, or jealousy from the other person. But only we can control how we allow what was said or done to affect us.

I’m not saying that everything slides off of our shoulders in an instant. Because it does not! And it will not! But we can take control of how long we let it run (or ruin) our lives. And we can take note of what we learn from how we deal with it, whether it’s in a good way or a bad way.

I went many years festering a particular hurt in my heart. The hurt of offense, of feeling left out, of feeling unworthy. But one day, God asked me to forgive. To let all of that go so that His plans could be accomplished. And once I was able to forgive – wholeheartedly forgive – the floodgate of grace was opened in my relationship with that person, in my relationship with God, and in my relationships with others

Not every hurt can be reconciled with the person who hurt you. But every hurt can be reconciled with God. He alone is the one who will bring you courage and peace to let go of all those things you are carrying around.

If you have hurts that are consuming your mind and heart today, spend some time with the Lord. Ask Him to help you see that person the way He sees them and ask Him how you can use what you’ve experienced for good. Whether it’s a peace in your own heart, a reconciled relationship, or being able to help someone else in the same situation, God will find a way to use it. Trust Him and make grace the space you fill your heart with so you can fulfill all that God wants to accomplish through you.

#SaturdaySoulSearch